» Ferguson hopeful of avoiding a touchline ban over verbal attack on Wiley

Ferguson hopeful of avoiding a touchline ban over verbal attack on Wiley

Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 16:13 [IST]

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London, Oct 20(ANI): Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been charged with improper conduct by the FA for his verbal attack on referee Alan Wiley, is pinning his hopes on avoiding a touchline ban by citing past cases in his defence.

The controversy was sparked after Man U's 2-2 draw against Sunderland on 3 October, where Ferguson had said: "The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He (Wiley) was not fit."

Though Ferguson did apologize to Wiley, he could face a hefty fine or a touchline ban if found guilty.

Meanwhile, Ferguson's defence team will argue that as the alleged offence occurred away from the technical area, Man U manager should not face a touchline ban, The Mirror reports.

It also has to be noticed that no manager has ever been hit with a touchline ban for post-match remarks.

The FA had earlier released a statement over the controversy, which said: "Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct."

"The charge relates to media comments made by Ferguson about referee Alan Wiley following United"s match against Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 3. He has until November 3 to respond to the charge," the statement added. (ANI)